Endoscope operation portion and endoscope

ABSTRACT

An endoscope operation portion includes: an operation portion body provided being connected to a grasping portion; a joystick-type bending operation lever provided on a back side of the operation portion body, including a lever shaft body, and configured to perform a bending operation of a bending portion; and a suction button provided on a front side of the operation portion body so that an angle formed by an operation axis in a pressing-down operation direction relative to a central axis of the lever shaft body is an obtuse angle, and an intersection point between the central axis and the operation axis is positioned inside the operation portion body.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of PCT/JP2015/077285filed on Sep. 28, 2015 and claims benefit of Japanese Application No.2015-049800 filed in Japan on Mar. 12, 2015, the entire contents ofwhich are incorporated herein by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an endoscope operation portion providedwith a bending operation portion configured to operate a bending portionprovided on an insertion portion of an endoscope to be inserted into asubject, and a function operating portion configured to operateendoscope functions such as suction, and the endoscope.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, in order to observe a position which is difficult toobserve, inside a subject/object such as a living body and a structure,an endoscope which can be introduced into the subject/object has beenwidely used, for example, in a medical field and an industrial field.

An insertion portion of such an endoscope is provided with a bendingportion for improving insertability into and observability inside thesubject/object. The bending portion is bending-operated by operationmeans provided on an operation portion which is provided being connectedto the insertion portion.

For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No.2008-36355, a technique of an operation device as an endoscope operationportion provided with a joystick type operator is disclosed as operationmeans for performing a bending operation of a bending portion of aninsertion portion. The conventional operation device is also providedwith switches for operating air/water feeding, suction and the like inaddition to the operator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An endoscope operation portion of an aspect of the present inventionincludes: a grasping portion provided being connected to an insertionportion of an endoscope, the insertion portion including a bendingportion; an operation portion body provided being connected to thegrasping portion; a joystick-type bending operation lever provided on aback side of the operation portion body, including a lever shaft body,and configured to perform a bending operation of the bending portion; asuction button provided on a front side of the operation portion body sothat an angle formed by an operation axis in a pressing-down operationdirection relative to a central axis of the lever shaft body is anobtuse angle, and an intersection point between the central axis and theoperation axis is positioned inside the operation portion body; and aplane portion provided on the front side of the operation portion bodywhere the suction button is provided so as to be connected to thegrasping portion, and formed so that an angle of the planar portionrelative to the central axis of the lever shaft body is set to 90° orlarger, and an intersection with the central axis is positioned on asurface.

An endoscope of an aspect of the present invention includes an endoscopeoperation portion including: a grasping portion provided being connectedto an insertion portion of an endoscope, the insertion portion includinga bending portion; an operation portion body provided being connected tothe grasping portion; a joystick-type bending operation lever providedon a back side of the operation portion body, including a lever shaftbody, and configured to perform a bending operation of the bendingportion; a suction button provided on a front side of the operationportion body so that an angle formed by an operation axis in apressing-down operation direction relative to a central axis of thelever shaft body is an obtuse angle, and an intersection point betweenthe central axis and the operation axis is positioned inside theoperation portion body; and a plane portion provided on the front sideof the operation portion body where the suction button is provided so asto be connected to the grasping portion, and formed so that an angle ofthe planar portion relative to the central axis of the lever shaft bodyis set to 90° or larger, and an intersection with the central axis ispositioned on a surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an external appearance configuration ofan endoscope according to an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the external appearance configuration ofthe endoscope according to the aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view showing the external appearance configuration ofthe endoscope according to the aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing the external appearance configuration ofthe endoscope according to the aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a right side view showing the external appearanceconfiguration of the endoscope according to the aspect of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a right side view of the endoscope for illustratingarrangement of a bending operation lever and a suction button providedon an operation portion body when a bending portion is in asubstantially straight state, according to the aspect of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a right side view of the endoscope for illustratingarrangement of the bending operation lever and the suction buttonprovided on the operation portion body when the bending portion is in astate of being bent upward, according to the aspect of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 is a right side view of the endoscope for illustratingarrangement of the bending operation lever and the suction buttonprovided on the operation portion body when the bending portion is in astate of being bent downward, according to the aspect of the presentinvention;

FIG. 9 is a right side view of the operation portion of a firstmodification of the aspect of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a right side view of the operation portion of a secondmodification of the aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

A preferable embodiment of the present invention will be described withreference to drawings. Note that, in each figure used in the descriptionbelow, a different reduced scale is used for each component so that thecomponent is shown in a size recognizable on the drawing, and thepresent invention is not limited only to the number of components,shapes of the components, a ratio of sizes of the components andrelative positional relationships among the respective components shownin the figures. Further, in the description below, there may be a casewhere description is made on an assumption that upward and downwarddirections when facing a figure correspond to upper and lower parts of acomponent, respectively.

First, an endoscope of an aspect of the present invention will bedescribed below based on drawings. Note that FIG. 1 is a front viewshowing an external appearance configuration of an endoscope; FIG. 2 isa rear view showing the external appearance configuration of theendoscope; FIG. 3 is a top view showing the external appearanceconfiguration of the endoscope; FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing theexternal appearance configuration of the endoscope; FIG. 5 is a rightside view showing the external appearance configuration of theendoscope; FIG. 6 is a right side view of the endoscope for illustratingarrangement of a bending operation lever and a suction button providedon an operation portion body when a bending portion is in asubstantially straight state; FIG. 7 is a right side view of theendoscope for illustrating arrangement of the bending operation leverand the suction button provided on the operation portion body when thebending portion is in a state of being bent upward; FIG. 8 is a rightside view of the endoscope for illustrating arrangement of the bendingoperation lever and the suction button provided on the operation portionbody when the bending portion is in a state of being bent downward; FIG.9 is a right side view of the operation portion of a first modification;and FIG. 10 is a right side view of the operation portion of a secondmodification.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an endoscope 1 of the present embodiment is,for example, an electronic endoscope for bronchi or for urinary organsand is configured being provided with an insertion portion 2 formed inan elongated tube shape, an endoscope operation portion (hereinafterreferred to as an operation portion) 3 provided being connected to aproximal end of the insertion portion 2, a universal cord 4 which is anendoscope cable extended from the operation portion 3, and an endoscopeconnector 5 arranged at a distal end of the universal cord 4.

The insertion portion 2 of the endoscope 1 is configured with a flexibletubular member including a distal end portion 6, a bending portion 7 anda flexible tube portion 8 which are connectedly provided in that orderfrom a distal end side.

In the distal end portion 6 of the insertion portion 2, an objectiveoptical system, an image pickup unit including an image sensor such as aCCD and a CMOS, an illumination optical system configured to radiateilluminating light transmitted by a light guide bundle, a channel pipeconfigured to connect and retain a treatment instrument channel, and thelike are arranged though they are not shown here.

Note that the endoscope 1 is not limited to an electronic endoscopeprovided with an image pickup unit but may be configured with use of animage fiber.

The bending portion 7 of the insertion portion 2 is configured so thatthe bending portion 7 can be caused to be actively bent in alldirections around an insertion axis O including up-down/right-leftdirections according to an operation input by a user who is an operatingperson of the operation portion 3.

The flexible tube portion 8 of the insertion portion 2 is configuredwith a flexible tubular member which can be passively bent. Inside theflexible tube portion 8, an image pickup cable, the light guide bundle,the treatment instrument insertion channel and an air/water feeding tubeare inserted (none of them is shown).

The operation portion 3 of the endoscope 1 is configured including abending preventing portion 11 connected to the flexible tube portion 8in a state of covering a proximal end of the flexible tube portion 8, aninsertion portion rotating dial 12 provided on a proximal end side ofthe bending preventing portion 11 and configured to be capable of freelyadjusting a rotational position of the insertion portion 2 around theinsertion axis O, a grasping portion 13 connectedly provided on aproximal end side of the insertion portion rotating dial 12 andconfigured so that the user or the like can grasp by hand, and anoperation portion body 14 connectedly provided on a proximal end side ofthe grasping portion 13.

Note that, in the present embodiment, a direction around the insertionaxis O as a longitudinal axis of the operation portion 3 (in descriptionbelow, the longitudinal axis of the operation portion 3 will bedescribed as being the same as the insertion axis O) and the like aredefined on a basis of a state that the user or the like grasps thegrasping portion 13 (see FIG. 5). More specifically, theup-down/right-left directions (a front, a back, right and left sides andthe like) on a basis of the user or the like grasping the graspingportion 13 are defined for the operation portion 3.

The grasping portion 13 is formed in a symmetrical shape relative to theinsertion axis O so that the user or the like can grasp the graspingportion 13 similarly by either of left and right hands.

On the front on a distal end side of the grasping portion 13, atreatment instrument inserting portion 15 is provided. The treatmentinstrument inserting portion 15 is configured being provided with atreatment instrument insertion opening 16 through which various kinds oftreatment instruments not shown are to be inserted.

Inside the operation portion 3, the treatment instrument insertionchannel communicates with the treatment instrument insertion opening 16via a branching member (neither of the treatment instrument insertionchannel nor the branching member is shown). Further, for example, adisposable forceps plug not shown, which is a cover member for blockingthe treatment instrument insertion opening 16, is attachable to anddetachable from the treatment instrument inserting portion 15.

The operation portion body 14 is configured with a hollow member forminga substantially partially spherical shape swelled mainly in right andleft side directions and forward, on the proximal end side of thegrasping portion 13. On a front side of the operation portion body 14,operation buttons 20 for executing a suction function, various opticalsystem functions and the like of the endoscope 1 are arranged.

On the other hand, on a back side of the operation portion body 14, abending operation lever 21, which is an operator as bending operationmeans for performing a bending operation of the bending portion 7, isarranged. Furthermore, from one side (for example, a left side) of theoperation portion body 14, the universal cord 4 is extended via a cablebending preventing portion 17.

Here, a right-left shape of the operation portion body 14 is a swelledshape symmetrical relative to the insertion axis O. On right and leftsides on a distal end side of the operation portion body 14, guidingrecess portions 18 for guiding a forefinger or the like of the user orthe like grasping the grasping portion 13 to the operation buttons 20are formed, respectively.

The universal cord 4 is a composite cable which reaches from the distalend portion 6 side to the operation portion 3 through an inside of theinsertion portion 2 and in which various signal lines including theimage pickup cable, which extend from the operation portion 3, the lightguide bundle and the air/water feeding tube into which fluid forair/water feeding is caused to flow in (none of which is shown) areinserted inside.

The endoscope connector 5 provided at an end portion of the universalcord 4 includes an electric connector portion 5 a and a light sourceconnector portion 5 b connected to a light source apparatus, which is anexternal apparatus not shown.

Note that a video processor, which is an external apparatus not shown,or a connector of an extendedly provided electric cable is attachablyand detachably connected to the electric connector portion 5 a. Further,a light guide connector portion 5 c in which the light guide bundle isaccommodated and an air/water feeding connector portion 5 d are arrangedin the light source connector portion 5 b.

Next, a configuration of each portion of the operation portion body 14will be described in more detail.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, for example, the operation buttons 20 areconfigured with, for example, a disposable suction valve 22 attachablyand detachably fitted to the operation portion body 14, and two buttonswitches 23 to which an arbitrary function, for example, a releasebutton can be selectively assigned from among various functions relatedto the endoscope 1.

Note that the suction valve 22 is configured including a suction button24 as an operation input member, and a tube connection portion 25 towhich a suction tube extended from an endoscope aspirator, which is anexternal apparatus not shown, is connected.

The bending operation lever 21 provided on the back side of theoperation portion body 14 is configured, for example, with a so-calledjoystick type lever which is tillable in all the directions includingthe up-down/right-left directions. A tip portion of a lever shaft body27 (see FIG. 5) of the bending operation lever 21 is provided with afinger touch portion 26 which a thumb of the user or the like can bebrought in contact with.

The finger touch portion 26 is arranged substantially at a center in aright-left width direction on the back side of the operation portionbody 14 so as to be overlapped with the insertion axis O and a virtualline Y (see FIG. 3). That is, the finger touch portion 26 of the bendingoperation lever 21 and the suction button 24 of the suction valve 22 arearranged substantially at the center in the right-left width directionon the front side or the back side of the operation portion body 14.

Note that the bending operation lever 21 is provided on a more proximalend side (an upward side in FIG. 5) of the operation portion 3 than abase of the thumb so that the user or the like can operate the fingertouch portion 26 by the thumb of the hand grasping the grasping portion13.

Further, inside the operation portion 3, a bending operation mechanismnot shown is coupled with a proximal end side of the bending operationlever 21. The bending operation lever 21 is capable of causing thebending portion 7 to perform a bending operation in an arbitrarydirection via a pulling operation of each pulling wire by the bendingoperation mechanism.

Note that bending directions of the bending portion 7 for operationdirections are set so that the bending portion 7 bends upward by thebending operation lever 21 being tilted directly downward and bendsdownward by the bending operation lever 21 being tilted directly upward.Further, operation directions of the bending operation lever 21 forcausing the bending portion 7 to bend in the right and left directionscorrespond to directions of the bending operation lever 21 being tiltedright and left.

By the way, as for the operation directions of the bending operationlever 21, since the bending operation lever 21 can be tilted in all thedirections including the up-down/right-left directions, directly upwardand directly downward directions and directly right-left directions aredifficult to recognize when performing an operation.

Therefore, on the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment, the suctionbutton 24 of the suction valve 22 is arranged substantially at thecenter in the right-left width direction on the front side of theoperation portion body 14 so as to be overlapped with the insertion axisO and the virtual line Y in the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment asdescribed above, and the endoscope 1 can be operated in the directlyupward direction by tilting the finger touch portion 26 of the bendingoperation lever 21 to the front side of the operation portion body 14 ina direction toward the suction button 24, and, on the contrary, can beoperated in the directly downward direction by tilting the finger touchportion 26 on an opposite side of the front direction of the operationportion body 14 in the direction toward the suction button 24.

Further, on the endoscope 1, the two button switches 23 are arrangedside by side on a virtual line X in the right-left width direction ofthe operation portion body 14 and arranged so as to be symmetrical, withthe virtual line Y passing through the insertion axis O and dividing theoperation portion body 14 into two between the two button switches 23,as described above, and the endoscope 1 can be operated in a directlylateral direction by tilting the finger touch portion 26 of the bendingoperation lever 21 in a direction along the two button switches 23.

Thus, the endoscope 1 is configured so that the suction button 24 andthe two button switches 23 serve as up-down/right-left indicatorportions to make it easy to recognize the up-down/right-left operationdirections of the bending operation lever 21.

Note that parting lines and lateral lines of the grasping portion 13,the operation portion body 14 and the like of the operation portion 3may be up-down/right-left indicator portions in order to make it easy torecognize the up-down/right-left operation directions of the bendingoperation lever 21. Furthermore, a cross line to be anup-down/right-left operation direction indicator portion may be providedon the finger touch portion 26 of the bending operation lever 21.

Here, arrangement of the bending operation lever 21 and the suctionbutton 24 will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 6, the lever shaft body 27 of the bending operationlever 21 has a central axis A.

An operation axis B in a pressing-down direction of the suction button24 is set so that an angle θ formed relative to the central axis A ofthe lever shaft body 27 of the bending operation lever 21 is to be anobtuse angle when the bending portion 7 is in a substantially straightstate when not being operated.

Further, an intersection point P between the central axis A of the levershaft body 27 of the bending operation lever 21 and the operation axis Bof the suction button 24 is set to be positioned inside the operationportion body 14 of the operation portion 3.

By the lever shaft body 27 of the bending operation lever 21 and thesuction button 24 of the suction valve 22 being provided as describedabove, a stress F1 by the operating person pressing the finger touchportion 26 of the bending operation lever 21 with his thumb so that thebending operation lever 21 does not move and a stress F2, which ispressing force of pressing down the suction button 24, are in oppositedirections, and the angle θ formed by the directions in which thestresses F1 and F2 occur (the central axis A and the operation axis B)becomes an obtuse angle when the bending portion 7 keeps thesubstantially straight state when not being operated.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, an angle θ+α formed by the operation axis Bin the direction of pressing down the suction button 24 relative to thecentral axis A of the lever shaft body 27 of the bending operation lever21 is set to become an obtuse angle when the bending portion 7 isbending-operated upward.

In this state also, the intersection point P between the central axis Aof the lever shaft body 27 of the bending operation lever 21 and theoperation axis B in the direction of pressing down the suction button 24is positioned inside the operation portion body 14 of the operationportion 3.

That is, here also, the stress F1 by the operating person pressing thefinger touch portion 26 of the bending operation lever 21 with his thumbso that the bending operation lever 21 does not move and the stress F2,which is the pressing force of pressing down the suction button 24, arein opposite directions, and the angle θ+α formed by the directions inwhich the stresses F1 and F2 occur (the central axis A and the operationaxis B) becomes an obtuse angle when the bending portion 7 keeps thestate of being bending-operated upward.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, an angle θ−β formed by the operationaxis B in the direction of pressing down the suction button 24 relativeto the central axis A of the lever shaft body 27 of the bendingoperation lever 21 is also set to become an obtuse angle when thebending portion 7 is bending-operated downward.

In this state also, the intersection point P between the central axis Aof the lever shaft body 27 of the bending operation lever 21 and theoperation axis B in the direction of pressing down the suction button 24is positioned inside the operation portion body 14 of the operationportion 3.

That is, here also, the stress F1 by the operating person pressing thefinger touch portion 26 of the bending operation lever 21 with his thumbso that the bending operation lever 21 does not move and the stress F2,which is the pressing force of pressing down the suction button 24, arein opposite directions, and the angle θ−β formed by the directions inwhich the stresses F1 and F2 occur (the central axis A and the operationaxis B) becomes an obtuse angle when the bending portion 7 keeps thestate of being bending-operated downward.

Thus, the bending operation lever 21 and the suction button 24 arearranged so that, even if the bending portion 7 is in the states ofbending upward and downward, the stress F1, which occurs on the bendingoperation lever 21, and the stress F2, which is pressing-down forcepressing down the suction button 24, in opposite directions and alongthe central axis A and the operation axis B which cross at an obtuseangle and the intersection point P of which exists in the operationportion body 14, respectively, offset each other when the bending statesare kept.

In addition, since the grasping portion 13 of the operation portion 3 isgrasped by the operating person's hand, it is possible to prevent thebending operation lever 21 from being shifted when the suction button 24is pressed down.

Therefore, the endoscope 1 of the present embodiment is such that, whenperforming a suction operation, the bending operation lever 21 is noteasily shifted, and, thereby, it is possible to prevent the distal endportion 6 from being shifted by the bending portion 7 moving and it ispossible to keep a state of being fixed in a desired field-of-viewdirection.

Therefore, the endoscope 1 is configured such that it is possible to, bypreventing the bending operation lever 21 from being shifted whenoperating the bending operation lever 21, which is an operator for abending operation, and the suction button 24, which is a switch for anendoscope function, in order for the bending portion 7 to keep a desiredbending operation, prevent the distal end portion 6 from being shifted.

Note that, especially an operation of bending the bending portion 7 ofthe endoscope 1 upward from the substantially straight state when thebending portion 7 not being operated is frequently performed. Therefore,it is sufficient if the bending portion 7 can keep the substantiallystraight state when not being operated and the state of bending upward.

That is, the endoscope 1 is not necessarily required to include thestate of bending downward, and the bending operation lever 21 and thesuction button 24 described above can be arranged at least when thebending portion 7 is in the substantially straight state when not beingoperated and the state of bending upward.

(First Modification)

As shown in FIG. 9, in the endoscope 1, by causing the operation axis Bin the direction of pressing down the suction button 24 to besubstantially at a right angle π/2 relative to the back, which is a sidewhere the bending operation lever 21 is provided on the operationportion body 14, on the grasping portion 13 of the operation portion 3,the stress F2, which is the pressing force of pressing down the suctionbutton 24 is suppressed by a palm of the operating person grasping thegrasping portion 13.

By adopting such a configuration, the endoscope 1 can be such that it ispossible to prevent the bending operation lever 21 from being shiftedwhen the suction button 24 is pressed down more.

(Second Modification)

As shown in FIG. 10, on the endoscope 1, a planar portion 19 is formedon a lower end side, which is a distal end side of a projection portionwhere the operation buttons 20 are provided, on the front side of theoperation portion body 14 provided being connected to the graspingportion 13, and an angle γ formed by the planar portion 19 indicated bya virtual line C relative to the central axis A of the lever shaft body27 of the bending operation lever 21 is set to an obtuse angle largerthan 90° including 90°.

Note that, even in a state of the bending portion 7 being bent upwardand downward to the maximum, the angle γ formed by the planar portion 19relative to the central axis A of the lever shaft body 27 of the bendingoperation lever 21 is set to an obtuse angle larger than the right angle(90°) including the right angle (90°). That is, the formed angle γ isset to be equal to or larger than 90° (γ≥90°).

By adopting such a configuration, in the endoscope 1, since a finger ofthe operating person grasping the grasping portion 13, here, a middlefinger comes into contact with the planar portion 19, a stress along thecentral axis A which occurs when the bending operation lever 21 isoperated is received by the finger in contact with the planar portion19; and, thereby, the operation portion 3 becomes stable, and it ispossible to prevent the bending operation lever 21 from being shifted.

Therefore, in the endoscope 1 of the present modification also, it ispossible to prevent the bending operation lever 21 from being shiftedwhen the suction button 24 is pressed down for a suction operation,prevent the distal end portion 6 from being shifted by the bendingportion 7 moving, and keep the state of being fixed in a desired fieldof view direction.

The invention described in each embodiment above is not limited to theembodiment and modifications, and, additionally, various variations canbe made within a range not departing from the spirit of the invention ata stage of practicing the invention. Furthermore, each embodiment aboveincludes inventions at various stages, and various inventions can beextracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosedconstituent features

For example, even if some constituent features are deleted from allconstituent features shown in each embodiment, a configuration obtainedafter deleting the constituent features can be extracted as an inventionif the stated problem can be solved, and the stated advantageous effectscan be obtained.

What is claimed is:
 1. An endoscope operation portion comprising: agrasping portion having a distal end configured to be connected to aninsertion portion of an endoscope, the insertion portion comprising abending portion; an operation portion body connected to a proximal endof the grasping portion, the operation portion body including a firstside, a second side, the second side being an opposite side of the firstside, the operation portion body further including a third side, and afourth side, the fourth side being an opposite side of the third side; ajoystick-type bending operation lever provided on the second side of theoperation portion body, the joystick-type bending operation leverincluding a lever shaft body, the joystick-type bending operation leverbeing configured to perform a bending operation of the bending portion;a suction button provided on the first side of the operation portionbody so that an angle formed by a pressing-down operation direction ofthe suction button relative to a central axis of the lever shaft body isan obtuse angle, and an intersection point between the central axis andthe pressing-down operation direction is positioned inside the operationportion body; and a first recess portion formed on the third side of theoperation portion body, the first recess being configured to guide afinger of an operator grasping the grasping portion; a second recessportion formed on the fourth side of the operation portion body, thesecond recess being configured to guide a finger of the operatorgrasping the grasping portion; and a planar surface formed distally withrespect to the first and second recess portions, the planar surfacebeing formed on the first side so as to connect the first and secondrecess portions, wherein the planar surface is formed so that an angleof the planar surface relative to the central axis of the lever shaftbody is set to 90° or larger, and the planar surface intersects with thecentral axis.
 2. The endoscope operation portion according to claim 1,wherein at least when the bending portion is in a straight state whennot being operated by the lever shaft body and in an upward bendingstate, the angle formed by the pressing-down operation directionrelative to the central axis is an obtuse angle.
 3. The endoscopeoperation portion according to claim 1, wherein the angle formed by thepressing-down operation direction is substantially at a right anglerelative to the second side of the operation portion body.
 4. Anendoscope comprising the endoscope operation portion according to claim1.